Ryan Rollins' sensational performance in the Milwaukee Bucks' defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers has added to the growing list of signs that the team finally has a young player on the rise.
Milwaukee found a diamond in the rough with Rollins
We all know that the Bucks have not been a good drafting team. Whether down to pure scouting or development, they have struggled to bring through any young players who have gone on to feature regularly. Rollins dropped 32 on Thursday night, with a career high 14 assists as he displayed his ability to create for others with Giannis Antetokounmpo out injured.
This season, he is averaging 18.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals on shooting splits of .511/.443/.800 in 31.6 minutes per game. He has propelled the Bucks to multiple wins this season, and the only game he failed to score double digits in was the season opener, where he started on the bench.
Since uncovering a gem in Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013, Milwaukee's draft and ability to find gems have not been good.
Jabari Parker was a surefire pick in 2014, but injuries prevented him from ever reaching his potential. Malcolm Brogdon won Rookie of the Year as a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, but he came in as an older prospect. Donte DiVincenzo has gone on to have a very solid NBA career, but the Bucks' decision to move on from 2024 draftees AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith within a year shows just how bad it has been lately.
Despite not being drafted by the team, bringing Rollins in on a two-way deal was a great move by Jon Horst. We saw glimpses of his potential last season, and being converted to a full contract and then extended this offseason looks like one of the biggest steals in NBA contract history.
AJ Green laid out the blueprint for Rollins to follow. Another former two-way player with the team that took his opportunity when it came his way and is now a key cog of the roster, with a much-deserved extension signed this offseason.
There has been a lot of pressure on Rollins to start this season, but he has shown that he can handle it. Around Giannis, the roster always had questions. Now, there are no questions to ask of Rollins, as he is rightly in Most Improved Player conversations. With Giannis out, the team will look to him even more, and despite the loss, he showed he can put up good numbers on good efficiency, but others will need to step up.
On a three-game losing streak, there is a lot of doom and gloom around the Bucks with Giannis out. One big bright spot of the season has been Ryan Rollins, and the Bucks finally have a quality young player that they can build with moving forward.